IoT Networks for 5G Massive Machine Type Communications (MMTC)

The concept of Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming increasingly popular in the market today, paving the way for a smarter, more dynamic and connected society. The introduction of 5G technology is a catalyst for IoT, which is expected to provide ubiquitous connectivity, higher data rates, ultra-low latency and improved energy efficiency to billions of connected devices in the coming years. One of the most promising use cases of 5G IoT is massive machine type communication (mMTC), which connects a large number of low-power devices (sensors) to the network to enable a wide variety of applications.

mMTC is an important part of 5G network services, which can provide low-cost, low-power and reliable connections for a large number of IoT devices. mMTC can support a connection density of up to 1 million devices per square kilometer, thus realizing large-scale IoT deployment.

IoT networks require multiple advancements to enable mMTC services in 5G. Below we will discuss the key advancements and technologies that can transform IoT networks to enable multiple 5G services.

5G New Radio (5GNR): The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) releases 15 to 18 drive 5G expansion for IoT. 3GPP releases 15 to 17 focus on a unified and scalable air interface, 5G NR, to support coexistence of a wide range of 5G device categories.

Release 17 introduced 5G NR Light, bringing new features to the IoT, such as optimizing power consumption and recovering coverage through sidelink. 3GPP Releases 16 and 17 include positioning enhancements such as 3D positioning, centimeter-level accuracy, reduced positioning latency, and reliability enhancements in specific areas such as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) and factory positioning.

Edge computing: Edge computing is a distributed computing paradigm that brings computing and storage closer to IoT devices or the edge of the network, reducing the amount of data that needs to be communicated over the network. This improves the quality and performance of mMTC services with low latency and greater security.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI can be used to analyze the massive amounts of data generated by IoT devices and extract meaningful insights from them. It can also be used to optimize the performance of mMTC services by predicting device behavior, identifying anomalies, and optimizing network resources.

Connectivity via Cloud SIM: To support flexible IoT deployments in the market, on-demand cellular connectivity without relying on physical SIM cards (eSIM) has become a current requirement. Cloud SIM has become the best choice, connecting IoT devices to the network on demand by securely locating SIM card functionality to the cloud.

With Cloud SIM, the SIM functionality is embedded into the device's hardware and can be remotely programmed to connect to different cellular networks. Cloud SIM can be updated remotely over the air, providing greater flexibility and scalability than traditional or physical SIM cards.

Cellular and non-cellular technologies: LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) technologies enable long-range communication between low-power devices such as sensors to enable various IoT applications. For example, Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and LTE-M are examples of cellular technologies, while oRAWAN and Sigfox are non-cellular technologies that support IoT deployments.

5G IoT connections are expected to increase 1,100% by 2026, from 13 million in 2023 to 110 million in 2026.

Technology is evolving faster than ever before, and 5G networks are being designed to do everything from quickly deploying customized IoT services to meeting the needs of multiple vertical industries, including healthcare and manufacturing.

To handle this massive connection, the IoT network that connects the devices must be completely transformed. To promote the development of IoT, the combination of various emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, analytics, edge computing, etc. is essential to ensure secure, reliable and scalable mMTC services in 5G.